The Hero's Journey
by BABZILLA
Summary: Link defeated the shadow demons that plagued the distant kingdom of Koren. Link is now allowed to return home, but the shadows are still lurking and waiting for him. Rated M for future mature romantic scenes, violence, language...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Link sat, weary and broken. He had finally defeated the large enemy in a distant land. He was far from Hyrule, and he only wished to be home swiftly and safely. He looked at his surroundings. The grass was no longer green but dark and singed, the small village that once stood was now rubble, bodies laid strewn across the ground, and the silence almost felt like a weight on Link. He pulled the Master Sword from his enemy's chest. It was a large demon, one that he had never encountered before in all his other travels. It was terrorizing a kingdom far from Hyrule, but at the pace it was going it would have reached Hyrule quickly. Queen Zelda asked Link to go and help the effort to stop the darkness. Link obliged, he had no other choice, he was the chosen Hero.

A heavy gloved hand rested on Link's shoulder. He looked up to see an older man wearing full armor of the Koren Kingdom. The armor was stained with blood and ash. The man's face was bearded, dirty, worn, the sun had leathered it over the years. A scar traced down the side of his face, deep and menacing. His hair was dark black with spots of grey to show his age. He was a rotund man, but incredibly strong. "You did well Link." He said it quietly and walked away back towards the small decimated village.

_You did well_… The man's voice echoed in Link's mind like a gong. He held his head in his hands and rubbed his face. The stench of death was all over him, and he felt sick at the thought of it. _You did well_… He knew it wasn't true, too many died, and he could not fix that. So many villages suffered at the hands of the evil that grew from deep within the earth. He knew he could have done so much more, yet he was only one man. He stood up; his knees felt weak like he was going to collapse in place. He fought the demon for months. He never had a straight path to defeat it, there were many trials he faced before he could present himself to it. It was very ritualistic, and many people died in the process. Link tried to save as many as he could, but he knew it was impossible.

He looked down at his armor, the Triforce gleamed on the front of his chest plate, yet the metal was now warped and broken. The Triforce remained, it was made of gold and emeralds. Link put his gloved hand over it, praying thanks to the goddesses that this was over. The demon was something that Gannon was able to conjure up in his absence. Link knew that Gannon would work to gain strength in any form and in any way to take over what he felt was rightfully his. Gannon would not go away and would forever be an entity that threatened Link's life and the lives of all people in their world.

The Koren Army was much smaller after the final battle. Many soldiers had lost their lives, many were severely wounded, and only a few survived almost unscathed. Link began his walk through the rows of soldiers in front of him. They had helped occupy the demon's shadow hordes from attacking Link straight on, serving as tanks as Link fought the beast on his own. The power of the Triforce always proved to be the most valuable weapon against the darkness of the underworld. Link knew that he was blessed by the goddesses by being infused with the power of the Triforce. This made Link a huge commodity for neighboring kingdoms when issues arose.

"Link, by our honor, please go to the Koren Castle and await King Titus. News of the beast's defeat travelled quickly by song. We will take care of the soldiers and villagers here; you should go to the castle and rest." The older gentleman that had originally addressed Link was giving him the orders of the King. His name was Damien and was the King's right hand. The King had been on the battlefield but was wounded by a shadow demon which entered his body and possessed him for a short time. Link shuddered remembering what the King has said to him during his possession. The screams of agony and pain as he fought the demon presence in his body. The foreign entity was unable to fully attach itself ot his mind and eventually left, leaving the King in a temporary slumber. The medicine men of the kingdom came from all over the country to help heal the beloved King. He was revived after a few weeks but was unable to walk. His back was broken from the ferocity of shadow's presence, and it had ripped his spine in the middle causing paralysis. Link was surprised the King lived but was also relieved. King Titus was a good friend to Link, and it caused Link great distress knowing he could have passed.

"I'll make sure I see him before I ship off at port. I am grateful I was able to be here and help fight alongside your people." Link placed a heavy hand on Damien's shoulder, Damien did the same to Link. They bowed to each other, touching foreheads lightly.

"You will always be the chosen Hero of Koren. We will honor you always." Damien said. Link nodded and stepped back from Damien. They released each other and set off in different directions. Link found the area of woods where he left Epona tied to a tree. The area was safe at that point, and Link was able to put up wards surrounding her. She was a huge part of his life, and he did not know how he would cope without Epona. After Navi left to be with the new Deku Tree as part of his council, Link often felt lonely. Having Epona by his side always made him feel stronger, better, and not so alone. Link felt that was a large part of his weakness, the feeling of being alone and not belonging. He knew he was loved, but only for his heroic deeds.

Epona was right where he left her. Her red coat shimmered in the sunlight that peaked through the canopy of the woods. Link smiled and patted her broad neck. She neighed at his touch. "Easy girl, easy." Link said, spreading his fingers out over her mane. "It's over Epona, we can go home now." Link whispered, running his hand along her side. He opened a saddle bag and placed some of his heavier armor in it. He disliked riding in a full suit of armor. He undressed, pulling the armor off piece by piece. He strapped it to Epona's dark leather saddle, making sure her saddle blanket extended under the armor. He led Epona to a small stream farther in the woods. He sat at the edge of the river, looking at his reflection, allowing Epona time to drink. His face was covered in ash and blood, a black tar like substance seemed to be smeared on his neck. He scowled at his reflection. The bright blonde hair was now dirty and brown, his bright eyes had lost the sparkle they once possessed and now looked to be a dark blue, he had several new scars on his face, and he could smell the demon on himself. Link waded into the cool river and began washing himself off. The minor cuts and bruises felt like they were beginning to heal in the crystal-clear water. He almost felt as though he could relax for a moment, only for a moment. He stripped his underclothes off and disappeared beneath the watery depths. He stayed there for a while, allowing the water to cradle his worn body. He slowly surfaced and crawled out of the river. The bank was cold and wet beneath his toes.

He enjoyed the freeing sensation of not having to worry about something coming after him. It was hard enough to always be looking for something to get him or come after him, but after killing a beast like the demon, he felt better knowing a creature that large was dead. He dug through his saddle bags pulling out a clean tunic and pants. He pulled his clothes on and reveled in the crisp cleanliness. He had been fighting in the muck, soot, and blood for days on end. It was finally nice to be cleansed. He jumped onto Epona and set them off into the direction of the Koren Castle. The woods were relatively safe, and he only needed to be concerned with the possible wolves or skeletons that may lurk in the darkness. The weather was cool and moist. It had rained a day ago, but it was cold enough to keep the water from evaporating right away. Link pulled a cloak out of his rucksack and pulled it over his shoulders. He shuddered at the wind that touched his face. He would need to make a camp soon, but he wanted to get as far from the battlefield as he could. The stench of death seemed to follow him regardless of the distance.

Night fell slowly. Link sighed and unmounted Epona, sliding her heavy leather saddle to the ground. He cleaned an area for a fire and began working on his small camp. The fire took a moment to spark since it was still damp. Epona huffed, clouds puffed from her nostrils. She looked a bit uneasy, but Link assured her they were safe. He put up a ward around them to keep anything lurking in the depths at bay. He took a horse brush out of his rucksack and began brushing Epona down. It had been a long journey, and she needed attention and care. "There, there, good girl." He whispered as he ran his hand over the breadth of her neck. "We will get to go home soon, and you can be with your family in Lon Lon Ranch." Link gave way to a slight smile, thinking about the ranch. It was one of his favorite places to visit. He loved the animals, even if the chickens were a bit ornery. He could smell the sweet grass of the pasture, the smell of the horses and cattle, and he could hear her voice. Link grinned wider, envisioning the redheaded rancher's daughter, Malon. She was sitting in the field with a new colt, singing her song to it, letting the sun kiss her face. Link could see the blue of her eyes, like sapphires, and the paleness of her skin that reminded him of sweet cream. He wondered if she tasted as sweet as she looked.

Link heard a branch break and snapped out of his memories. He looked around his perimeter. He grabbed his bow and arrows, shooting a light arrow into the woods in each direction. The magical light only lasted long enough for Link to see a shadowy figure to his left. It was a creature, not man. It may have been a shadow demon left in the forests after the war. Link knew it could get past his wards. He armed himself with his Master Sword and stepped out towards the light. The shadowy figure was stunner, it did not move, the bright light coming from the arrows were already killing it. Link smirked, he could smell the stench of its darkness being carried by the wind. He carefully walked towards it, knowing it was blinded by the brightness of the magic at its feet. Link started a run and swung his blade over his head, jumping with ease and slamming the sword down on the shadow's head. It screamed, a call for help, but there was nothing left to ease its pain back into the depths of the underworld. Link watched it slowly burn, its body torqued in pain, the black scales of its body contracting to the heat of the flames, the dark swarm of smoke that covered it was dissipating leaving its flesh bare and open. Finally, it succumbed into the fire that took it back to where it belonged. Link wiped his blade against a tree. The sticky black blood was almost like tar, it was incredibly hard to get off.

Epona shuffled nervously in the distance. Link smiled at her and went through the ward. He gave her a warm smiled and continued to brush her down. "All is well Epona. There are bound to be a few stragglers. Let's try to eat and get some rest before daybreak." Link sat down against the tree Epona was tied to. He took his Ocarina out and began to play Epona's Song. It instantly soothed Epona, and she seemed to almost sway with the music. After Link finished the notes, he tucked his ocarina back into his pocket.

It was good to be free from the fight. He could finally stomach some food without being in the presence of a war. It was hard to keep anything down when there was death all around you. Link sunk back against the tree and pulled out some dried jerky. He chewed on it, savoring the spices and tastes of Hyrule. He felt like it had been ages since he was back home. Epona grazed on some of the lush clover underfoot. Link finished his dinner and downed some of the water he boiled when setting up camp. It was nice and clean, surprising since there was a war just down river and no telling what may have gotten into the water source. Link pulled his rucksack to him and pulled his sleeping gear out. He laid it across the forest floor near the fire and laid his head against Epona's saddle. They had to make an early start to the day, and he needed to try and rest.

_Fire bellowed from beneath his feet. Link was unstable, he couldn't feel his feet beneath him anymore as he fell through the cracks of the earth. He pulled his hook shot out and aimed for a cliffside. The fire was creeping up his leg, he could smell his clothing beginning to burn. He dangled in the crevasse of the earth, his heart pounding. He kicked at the fire, putting it out although it singed his skin. He winced in pain but shrugged it off. It wouldn't last forever. He began to zip line himself back up to the earht's surface. He could hear the rumble, the explosion of darkness beneath him. He had to move, and he had to move quickly. He climbed onto the ledge of the new cliff, scrambling to get up and get his weapons ready. The darkness was there, it was coming for everyone. _

"_Link, we have to evacuate the village!" Link turned to see Damien calling out to him. People were scattered everywhere. The earth was tearing the village apart, swallowing homes, creating large blasts of fire, shadow demons creeping out of the openings and throwing people in. Women were trying their best to help their children, but it was no use. The evacuation was a moot point. _

"_Just try to save as many as you can Damien. I will take it from here, let me handle the main shadow demon. Once he is destroyed, this should all stop as predicted by the Goddesses." Link turned away, the stench of burning flesh, the screams, the utter terror on their faces, he couldn't focus on that as the main demon began to unearth itself. _

"_Link…" He could hear the whisper of his name from the depths. "It's been a while… Ganon wanted me to come visit…" Link swallowed hard; he knew that this was just a ploy. _

"_Show yourself, let us handle this face to face. No need for you to express yourself by trying to intimidate me." Link shouted. The ground shook once more, more cracks forming. Link could feel the heat of the flames peaking through the earth's floor._

"_I don't like to talk anyway." It said quietly. Link looked around himself, finding a good amount of solid ground to stand on. He leapt towards it, rolling and standing, the Master Sword drawn, the Triforce gleaming on his chest with the power of time and the Goddesses. _

_The creature seemed to ooze out of every crack and hole of the earth. It wasn't just one entity, it was many. It was something the Goddesses would weep at. Link gritted his teeth, sword drawn, magic flowing through his veins, he knew that this was going to be a final battle. He knew that this was going to bring the fate of the Koren Kingdom, and there was only two ways this was going to go. Link felt like he wanted to give up, to stop his life, it's all been pain, suffering, monsters, but he knew that more people would die if he didn't help. He didn't want their blood on his hands. _

The heat of the morning rays touched Link's face, waking him from his dream. He sighed; he knew the dreams would only continue to get worse as the days went on. He knew he would have to visit a healer for sleep medicine for dreamless nights. Link stretched, gathered his things, and loaded Epona up. They made a quick breakfast and headed towards the direction of Koren Castle. Link knew by twilight he would be there, and then they could finally go home.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The sun was setting in the distance. Link could feel the cool breeze which only brought the scent of the forest. He reveled in it. He was glad to be rid of the stench of death. He could make out the castle in the distance. It was very large and beautiful, surrounded by large protective stone walls. Koren Castle was very similar to Hyrule Castle. It was far in the distance watching over the townsfolk of Koren Marketplace.

Standing outside the gates of the marketplace were soldiers. They were clad in armor with the Koren signet on the chest plate. They were posting guard in front, and there were far more than what was necessary. Link dismounted Epona and walked up to the nearest guard.

"Hello, I am here to see the King. He requested my presence." The guard solemnly nodded and turned towards the other soldier.

"Please escort the Hero to our King. Stable his horse in the royal stable. Hero, please come with the soldiers, they will escort you to King Titus." Link nodded and followed the guards in. Epona shuffled nervously but eased when one of the guards patted her neck softly. Link made sure that no harm would come to his horse, she was family to him.

The marketplace was emptied. Many families were afraid the darkness would destroy the center of their kingdom, so they fled to other nearby alliance kingdoms. Many went to Hyrule, others went to Termina Fields. It was a ghost town, not a bark from a dog, no laughter from children, no men and women asking for customers to buy their wares, it was very eerie. Link had remembered in the moment he awoke in the Temple of Time. Hyrule Castle Town was just as quiet and eerie Hyrule had become when many of the townsfolk were turned to walking corpses. Link pushed the thoughts to the back of his memories and looked on towards the tall marble pillars that lined the path to the castle. They were beautifully carved with the Koren signet on each one. The gardens were delicately sculpted with hills of flowering bushes, bright green winter grass, large great oak trees, and small fountains that dotted the castle yard. Link was surprised it fared as well as it did.

The castle doors were hard oak. They had the Koren history of the great war carved into its flesh. He could see the carving of King Titus fending off the hordes of imps that crawled from the depths of the mountains. Their faces twisted and warped in anguish. Link looked away from it, knowing that it would just cause more memories to surface that he did not need to feel before being infront of the king.

The inside of the castle was moderately decorated. Large ornaments were placed on the shelves of the stone walls. Banners were hung from the rafters, dark red to symbolize a day of war. The golden Phoenix signet of the Koren people shimmered in the fleeing light. The torches lining the walls were already lit, blazing fire and casting shadows along the dark stone. Link was almost comforted knowing he was inside somewhere that is guarded. He did not have to fight today.

"LINK! Our Hero!" The king was on his throne, drinking out of a large goblet. The people that did not evacuate were standing around King Titus, turning towards Link to meet him with a loud din of applause.

"King Titus." Link kneeled before the king as did the guards.

"Please, do not kneel young man. Ah, you are far more important than to kneel before an old man.: The king was draped in golden cloth. His crown was a bit lopsided on his head, but it glowed of gold, silver, and emeralds. "Please, come with me, let us discuss what all happened. I only hear bits and pieces, but I think it'll be much better coming from the man who was there!" The king bellowed. He was a large man, much taller and rotund than Link. He had a large curly white beard, and crinkly eyes that Link considered unarming. He looked like the nicest man when he smiled.

"Aye, lets go somewhere more quiet. Would you care for a scribe to follow us, for the historical documentation?" Link asked as he stood up. He felt his back pop in a few places and wished he could drink some medical potions and take a hot bath.

"Yes, yes of course. I have my monks here in the Church of Light. COME!" The king bellowed. His voice rang through the empty halls. "Let us go sit down and talk. GUARDS, bring our scribe and meet us in my personal library." The king grabbed Link by his arm and led him off into a large corridor lit with torches. "It's just down here Link, then we can discuss the happenings. I know you are tired, but as soon as we reaccount all of what happened, you can get a hot bath and even a woman." The king nudged Link's ribs. Link let out a small laugh and rubbed the back of his neck.

"A bath sounds wonderful, but I would not make the best company for a woman at the moment…" Link eyed the King. He nodded and straightened himself up a bit more.

"Well, coming from a man such as yourself, I'm quite surprised you wouldn't want a woman to accompany you this evening. You must be completely drained. Unless, there is a special woman waiting for you back in Hyrule?" Link smiled slightly and looked down the hall.

"Not necessarily. I'm more of a loner, I am set in my ways as they say." The King chuckled and turned to another elaborately carved oak door. This one had filigree carved into it, a peaceful scene, very fitting for a library. As the large door was pushed open, an earthy smell hit Link's nostrils. The Library was immaculate. It was large and wound up towards the tallest tower. There were books lining the shelves winding up and up. A large tree grew in the center of the room, it carried some sort of magic Link had never experienced before.

"This is…" Link couldn't find the right words to say.

"It has been in my family for generations. Our family wants to keep this library sacred and open to all who seek knowledge." Link nodded and followed King Titus into the dimly lit room. A guard entered behind them with a small man holding a small candle lit lamp and a large scroll. He looked as though he did not get enough sleep and was fumbling trying to hold everhything in his arms Link came to his side and took the scrolls from his arms.

"Allow me to help you. Where would you care to set up?" The monk nodded solemnly, a hue of red crossing his face. He began to walk towards a large table set up close to the tree. "Do you not speak?" Link asked as he set the monk's scrolls down. The monk smiled at Link and sat down.

"All the Church of Light monks are sworn to silence. They feel they are closest to the Goddesses in pure meditation. It is their choice." King Titus beckoned Link to a cushioned chair near the monk. Link took a seat and ran his fingers over the plushness of the chair. It was very comfortable and felt wonderful on his back.

"So, let us start…" The King sat quietly waiting for Link to relive the details of the war.

"I arrived here 10 moons ago… The darkness began to rear its ugly head. Slowly infiltrating small villages and wooded areas. The moment I got off the boat, I could smell the death that plagued your lands. The letter you wrote me was a plea for assistance from alliance kingdoms, and we were the first to answer. My connection with the sages and the Goddesses proved to be a successful weapon against the dark demons that crept from the depths of the underworld.

I remember coming to you, King Titus, and your fears and worries seemed to lessen as we spoke. Hyrule has been bombarded with Ganon's dark energies, and now that he has found other ways to infiltrate our earth, it's only a matter of time I would have to travel somewhere far to stop it.

The first two new moons were the hardest. Villages were being set ablaze. You could hear the screams of the townsfolk, the smell of death pouring from the cracks deep in the earth. The darkness did not want to hit you directly, and it wanted to take out any and all infrastructures it possibly could. The farms, ranches, factories, anything outside of the Koren Marketplace were immediately targeted by the darkness. It seemed to thoroughly enjoy killing and swallowing people with the earth…" Link sighed and sat back. He looked out a large window next to him. He could see the moonlight touch the beautiful courtyard. He wished he could be home.

"So the Koren Army and I fought. I had brought some of the Hyrulian forces with me, including the thieves that live in Gerudo since they had a lot of training from Ganon and from their leader. I wanted to make sure that we had all our bases covered. We had to figure out where the primary source of dark energy came from." Link looked anxiously at his hands. "We lost…many people in the process. The first moon we lost 1000 innocent bystanders and half of the Hyrulian forces. We made sure to evacuate and save as many people as we could. There were so many sink holes that kept popping up we had a hard time locating them before they happened." Links voice began to quiver.

"The next moon, we lost thousands of bystanders, the rest of the Hyrulian army, and many of the Gerudo. There was a large explosion, one that no one could have survived. It swallowed two full villages of people, and most of the armed forces in the area. The Koren Army were in a different portion of the kingdom at that time, and no man or woman was harmed. I tried to help as many as I could, I was just far enough away surveying the surrounding area that…" Link paused, holding his breath for a long moment. He felt a hand on his, warmth radiating from it.

"Link, if it is too difficult, we can discontinue…" King Titus said softly.

"No, I'm fine. It just takes me a moment…" Link adjusted his composure and sat up in the chair. "I was far enough away from the surrounding area not to be taken in by the explosion. I had never seen anything so awful. The sinkhole that opened within that village took several industrial buildings down along with it. It caused a massive explosion and killed everyone. There was nothing that could be done. It was my fault for not evacuating them in enough time…" Link looked down solemnly, waiting for the King to speak.

"There is no way to foresee the Goddess' plans Link. Do not blame yourself for something you cannot control. Ganon's darkness is to blame, you only have the light inside of you." The King patted Link on the leg and leaned back into his large chair.

"I thank you King Titus, but it's very difficult for me to talk about it since I was there and the only one that survived." King Titus nodded and sighed.

"I understand more than you know Link. This is historical facts, and not all of it will be positive. Many of the retellings will be cruel, unusual, upsetting, but we must do what we can to represent it accurately so our new generations can share and learn from what happened." Link let out a puff of air. He tried to push bad thoughts as far away as he could from the present. It brought nothing to him but pain.

"On the third and fourth moons, we were able to tell where the sink holes would appear. The Koren Army Chief of Command Damien led a force of two thousand men into Holykeep Village where the original Church of Light was built. The villages around Holykeep were being evacuated by myself and the rest of the Koren forces. I had taken thousands of men and women with me to any village I could and get them as far away as they could from their homes in fear of what happened prior.

As we led the survivors and refugees out of the villages, we could feel the rumbling of what seemed like a stampede. It was the earth opening from under us. I told the soldiers to get as many people out as they could on horseback. Your army did very well. We saved many people that day. The moment that hole opened, I was able to see into the depths of the underworld. Dark, nasty things wriggled around like worms in the blackness. You could smell something like burned flesh and Sulphur. It was awful. I knew that we were getting closer to the main source, and it wouldn't be long until we could locate where it was coming from. I rode off by myself, commanding the army to go take the villagers towards Damien in hopes they would be safe there.

The fifth up until the ninth moons, it was all bloodshed and death. Creatures came out of the ground, consuming people as they attacked in the darkness. The cracks of the earth were doorways for armies of shadowy demons to walk the kingdom and kill whoever was in their way. The only thing that stopped them was daylight. They had to creep back into the darkness during the night. Oddly, they had no true shape, it was as if they were made up of burnt embers. They were incredibly hard to see at night, but they had one feature that gave them away. Their eyes were brighter than the stars and glowed a sickly green. You could see them in the forests, watching, waiting, attacking anyone near. They were being directed by an unknown force, at least unknown to us at the time.

We lost many men and women still in the battles against these creatures. I tried to supply the armies with light arrows that would disarm the shadow demons and allow an advantage to kill. Unfortunately, I couldn't give it to everyone. We did our best. Good soldiers were lost during this time, and in ways that aren't worth repeating." Link swallowed hard, his mouth was beginning to feel dry.

"By the tenth moon, we had finally found a weakness. The den of the shadows was centered under the original Church of Light. We presumed it would try to open and devour all it could as a final stand against our forces. We evacuated Holykeep quickly, but we were unable to get everyone out in time. You could feel the earth twist and turn as it opened up, swallowing everything and everyone in its path. The main demon came out, it had pointed teeth but no true form. It was large, so very large. It felt like it was an ocean of death and fire. I took it upon myself to lure it away from the city, the Triforce typically attracts the ugliest of beings and monsters. It slithered behind me, I could hear it killing everything it touched like it was lighting the grass and dirt on fire leaving destruction in its wake. It had to die. I did all I could and fought it for three days. It was immune to my Master Sword, but not immune to pure light. I used my light arrows to wound it and constantly went in for the kill. It was so massive it was hard to kill at first. The more light arrows I used, the smaller it became. I did not have very many magical light arrows left, but I knew if I used the power of my Triforce then it may work. I was correct. A surge of the Goddess' power surged through me as I called upon the guidance of the Sages. My Triforce lit with such force I fell backwards. The entire battle ground lit up with the brightest light I had ever seen. I am honestly not sure how I was able to call on them for that much power, but it worked. I don't know if the Goddesses favored me at that moment, but it seemed like I was more powerful than I could have ever imagined." Link sat quietly, looking out the window again. The moonlight was beginning to move towards the other end of the courtyard.

"That is my recounting of the happenings. You have a lot that must be rebuilt. We can send people from the alliance kingdoms to help rebuild your infrastructure. Your people will slowly begin to heal. You can bring them back from hiding if you so wish." King Titus looked like he was in a daze. Link sat silently waiting for him to speak.

A few moments passed; the king closed his eyes. "Yes, we need to bring our people back… What the Goddesses have bestowed upon you is an amazing honor. You are in their favor Link." The King stood up, lending a hand to Link. "I'm fortunate that we had someone so powerful on our side. You are forever welcome here in Koren." Link stood and took his hand.

"Yes, your majesty." Link looked towards the scribe. He was recording feverously, ink splattered on the desk, but every word was accounted for. Link was surprised at how fast he was, but the magic of this library must have something to do with it.

"Link, thank you for telling us. I will speak with Lord Damien next, then the army. You should go relax. I will have someone escort you to your room and have dinner brought to you." Link nodded and bowed.

"Yes your majesty. I appreciate it. I will have to leave on the next ship at port tomorrow for Hyrule to report back to Queen Zelda." King Titus nodded.

"Yes, she will need to know what happened. Please, go rest." Link nodded again and took his leave from the library. The guard posted outside the library acknowledged Link and led him up some winding stairs to a large suite. The guard bowed at Link and walked away. Link sighed, it was good to be alone. The room was lavishly decorated in fine silks and satins from all over the world. Link looked around in awe, he had never seen such beautiful tapestries and bedding. He ran his fingers across the tapestry on the adjacent wall. It was dark red like the banners in the main hall. It had the Phoenix signet stitched to it in vibrant golds and silvers. Link looked at his bed, it looked very inviting, but he longed for a bath.

A quiet knock on the door piqued his interest. Upon opening it, women were gathered outside. Two men were holding a beautiful brass tub, the other women had buckets of fresh water. They set his bath together and began filling it to the brim. There was a small fire built beneath it to heat the water to a nice steam. Link thanked them and waited for the tub to cool. He slipped out of his clothes and stretched his aching body. It was always a rare gift to be in a warm bath. Link slid into the water, enjoying the warmth caressing his aching muscles.

There was a quiet knock on his door. Link remained silent, not wanting company. The door opened slightly. Link sighed and turned his head to the front of the room. A woman came in, clad in very sheer silks.

"Hello, master Link…" She said quietly. She looked nervous, but she tried to be confident.

"I don't need anything, you can leave." She tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder.

"I was sent here by the king. I am here to ease your aches and pains. I've been told I am a very good healer." Link sighed and slid under the water, leaving his hand in above the surface and gesturing her to go to leave. The woman smiled coyly and walked over to the tub. She pulled a stool up next to the tub and sprinkled some aromatic herbs over the water. Link surfaced and looked up at the raven beauty. Her breasts were pushed up high in her bodice, and her lips were wet with want.

"Look, I know what you're expecting, but I really don't want anyone with me right now. Please leave." Link said quietly, sinking back down into the water. The woman looked annoyed but got up, tugging at her skirts.

"Fine… Let the guards know if you need anything tonight, if you get lonely and need a warm body to share a bed with." Link fluttered his hand telling her to go. He let out an annoyed sigh and threw his head back, letting his neck rest on the curve of the brass tub. _Women…_ Link had his fair share of beautiful maidens always coming to him, always wanting him, but there was one that never did. _Malon_… Her name felt like fresh spring air in his mind. He smiled slightly, looking forward to seeing her after all these months. It would be a good thing, and maybe he would finally express his feelings towards her.


End file.
